Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



M. J. GALLAGBR. FIREARM.

Patented July 17, 1860 UNITED STAT S P TEN 0FFICE-.-

MAHLON J. GALLAGEB OF SAVANNAH, GEOR A;

Specification ibrinjng partof Letters Patent 29,1:57, dated July 17, 186. I

TY? all whom it-may concern of Savannah, in the'county of Ghatham and State of Georgia, have invented eertainnewand useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Cartridge-Firing Guns; and 'I do hereby declare the following to be full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section through a portion of. the gun when arranged for firing. Fig. 2 represents a simi-. lar section when the breech is opened and ready to receive the cartridge. Figs. 3 and 4 represent detached portions of the gun.

Similar letters of reference, where they oc-- our in the separat'efigures, denote corresponding parts of the gun in all the drawings. j p

A difiiculty exists in breech-loading car tridge-guns in the sticking of the cartridge shell or casein the gun after or before firing; and it is immaterial whether the cartridge be insertedwithin the breech or within the bore of the barrel. In either case, when inserted, it cannot be withdrawn. shell or case after firing; if it stick in the gun there is no quick reliable way of withdrawing it. To avoid this difliculty, I make one or part of the cartridge-chamber in the breech and the other half or part in the barrel, so that when the barrel and breech are separated, the cartridge or its case will pr'otrude from whichever part it adheres to and can easily be withdrawn therefrom; but when the barrel is hinged, so that its rear swings up to open the cartridge-chamber. andthe cartridge or its case extends both sides of the joint, it is-obvious that if the barrel turns or swings on a fixed pivot or joint that it would part the cartridge or its ease. To'avoid this, I so arrange the barrel that it shall first move away from the breech in a right line until the cartridge'is cleared; or, if the cartridge adheres to the barrel instead of the breech-piece,- until it clears itself, .and then causing it (the barrel) to swing on its pivot, sons to open up the cartridge-chamber; and this, too, by a simple operation "of a lever and-its connec-.

tions, that are so fitted and arranged as not to make any material projections, which at that point would be objectionable, as they come So, too, with the.

where the gun is generally supported by the hand when about to be fired. g The nature of my invention consistsin'fthe "manner in whieh'I have arranged and com- I bined' the devices, or their substantial equivalents, with the breech, barrel, and stock or partially in the barrel, so that it will-project fromeither part that it adheres to in opening up the chamber.;'

D is a bentlever, which, when drawn back and fastened by the catch I), also forms a guard for the trigger. This lever is hinged to the breech-piece B at c, and at the point d on said lever is hinged or pivoted one end of the link E, the other end thereof being pivoted at e to the barrel 0.

Underneath the barrel 0 there is aframepiece, F, through which there is an oblong slot,- f, and through this slot a bar, a, passes, said bar being firmly attached to the point of the stock A. The object of this slot and bar is to allow the barrel to slide endwise on the stock. 4

On the part A of the stock (and which may be termed the frame-work of the gun) there are two ways, 9 ,9", Fig. 4, on which a slidepiece, h, moves, that is attached to the barrel, and at the end of these ways 9 there is an" opening, k, through the stock or frame A,

through or into which the slide h can pass to allow the barrel, after it has moved a certain distance, to turn down at its point and. up at its rear to expose the cartridge or the car tridge-chamber, as seen in Fig. 2, these'movements alltaking placeby the simple drawing back of the lever D. By reversing the movement of the lever D a reversed action is had, the barrel first coming into line with the breech and then sliding back against the breech until the projection m on one fits into the re cess win the other, and thus closing the chain'- 'ber tightly, thefree end of the leverD being locked by the spring-catch b, 7

The frame-work A does not in the drawings entirely cover or conceal the link E, but may be extended sufficiently to do so, and thus leave a smooth surface Where the hand that supports the gun when being fired rests.

I have represented the nipple 0 -as placed so as to ignite the charge in the cartridge in the rear; but the cartridgeinay be ignited at the side by any of the known ways. \Vhen the barrel is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 2, the cartridge or the cartridgeease will protrude from either the bore of the barrel or of the breech-piece, as shown by the red lines 1- r in Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described the nature and Object of my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

In combination with a breech-loading gun in which the'cartridge-ehamber is divided at or near its middle, and a lever-and-link connection for sliding and tipping the barrel, the slide-piece h, andguiding-ways g and opening is, or their substantial equivalents,'for causing the barrel, when opening up the cartridgechamber, to move in a right line before it swings on its pivot, substantially in the manner-and for the purpose herein described.

' M, J. GALLAGER.

\Vitnesses:

A. B. STOUGHTON. E. COHEN. 

